LettersTVB show and comedian’s offer to quit were meant to be lighthearted

The show was meant to be a parody and make people laugh. Comedian Wong Cho-lam saying he would quit the show was a lighthearted response to criticism by some viewers, not intended to be serious

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A man walks past TVB City in Tseung Kwan O in December 2019. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 6:30am, 23 Apr 2021Updated: 6:30am, 23 Apr 2021

I refer to your online report, “It’s outdated and not funny, Hong Kong viewers tell TVB, after new variety show triggers controversy” (April 19) about TVB’s new variety show Have A Big Laugh. It said, “Comedian Wong Cho-lam quits programme following complaints over his impersonation of Hong Kong’s chief executive” and “Wong announced during Sunday night’s episode he would quit the show for good, admitting the programme’s debut was a PR disaster”.

The show was meant to be a hilarious parody to bring joy and make people laugh. The mimicking by Wong Cho-lam was a lighthearted way to tap into a current issue and not aimed at upsetting anyone. We have nothing but respect for the government, experts and, in particular, medical staff for their efforts in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The show, which debuted on April 11, achieved 23.7 rating points with more than 1.55 million viewers.

During the second episode on Sunday night when Wong Cho-lam said he would quit the show, it was again his lighthearted response to criticism by some viewers. It was a gag, and not intended to be serious.

We will continue to bring changes to our variety programmes and welcome feedback from the audience as to what they want to see on screen.

S.Y. Tam, assistant general manager (corporate affairs), Television Broadcasts Limited